A federal jury in Oakland has convicted Maxfer Palma, a 29-year-old Honduran national, on several drug trafficking charges after law enforcement found large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in his East Oakland apartment, where multiple children lived.
The verdict was delivered following a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar. Palma was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on premises where children were present or resided, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented at trial showed that officers from the Oakland Police Department discovered more than 400 grams of methamphetamine and over 200 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl hidden in a black backpack inside Palma’s bedroom closet. The same backpack also contained digital scales, other controlled substances, a firearm, and ammunition. A green backpack containing four bricks of methamphetamine weighing more than 1,700 grams was found hidden in a dog crate with a small dog in the living room.
Multiple children were present in the apartment shortly before officers conducted their search.
“We will continue to aggressively prosecute dealers who poison our communities with these dangerous substances. The defendant’s decisions to store deadly drugs and a firearm in a home where multiple children live showed a callous disregard for human life. We thank the jury for bringing him to account for his inexcusable actions,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian.
“DEA is focused on breaking the command, control, and distribution networks responsible for the fentanyl crisis. Our top operational priority is to eliminate the cartels and foreign terrorist organizations responsible for flooding the United States with fentanyl. Illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic, just two milligrams – a few grains of salt – can be deadly,” said San Francisco Division DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris.
According to evidence including text messages from Palma’s phone, he trafficked narcotics such as fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout East Oakland and San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood over seven months spanning 2022 and 2023.
Palma was acquitted by the jury on one count each of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine related to an April 22, 2023 incident in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood.
He remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing scheduled for July 17, 2026 before Judge Tigar. If convicted on all counts at sentencing, Palma faces between ten years to life imprisonment along with fines up to $10 million for certain offenses under federal statutes including mandatory consecutive sentences for some charges.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Buszin and Emily Dahlke with assistance from Kevin Costello following an investigation led by the DEA alongside Oakland Police Department and San Francisco Police Department.
